Advertisement
can independently adjust the subwoofer level with a control
on the back of the tower.
I used a Sony DVP-S7000 DVD player and Lexicon DC-
1 processor fed through a McIntosh Model 7106 100-watt
amplifier for my electronics. My room, modeled on THX-
suggested ratios and construction, measures roughly 12 x 22
feet, with an 8-foot ceiling. It is thickly carpeted, with a pair
of sound-absorption panels on the side walls near the speak-
ers and a ceiling absorption panel between and just in front
of the front L/R speakers. I placed the speakers about 2 feet
from the front wall, slightly in front of my reference system,
and nearly that distance from my 56-inch, widescreen
Toshiba TW56D90 rear-projection TV. The listening posi-
tion was directly between the surrounds, which were mount-
ed on the side walls just above ear level. My normal sur-
rounds are dipoles, so the Definitive bipoles provided quite
a contrast.
"The system's bipolar design
infused an ambience and depth
to the sound that I miss with many
conventional speakers"
The BP 2002TL, C/L/R 2500, and BP2X speakers inte-
grated superbly into a seamless system with perfect timbre
matching. The sound flowed indiscernibly between speak-
ers, and effects made no awkward jumps from one box to
another. The motorcycle race in Batman & Robin spun
around the room with a wide range of sounds, from throaty
vrooms to high-speed engine revs, and there was no notice-
able change as the race accelerated.
The system's bipolar design infused an ambience
and depth to the sound that I miss with many conventional
speakers. The entire room became part of the soundtrack, not
only in Batman & Robin but also in the eerie soundscapes of
2001. Fortunately, this added dimension did not muddy the
sound or reduce localization. My considerably more expen-
sive reference system sounded shallow in comparison.
"James Taylor never sounded
smoother and more vibrant
than when the Definitive
system reproduced his voice"
As a two-channel stereo system, the towers convincingly
reproduced ambience. I had recently recorded some live per-
formances for radio station WFMT, so I had CD-Rs of both
male and female soloists, accompanying themselves on gui-
tar, mandolin, or piano in a medium-sized barn. Having
heard the live performances, I found the reproduction
extremely faithful to the original voices and room acoustics.
The speakers created a believably solid stereo image, and the
vocals seemed to be coming from slightly above the center
speaker. In fact, I had to double-check to make sure the cen-
ter speaker was off. I could happily live with the BP
HIGH POINTS
Smooth, accurate, natural tonal balance.
Ample volume without distortion in
a normal room.
Powerful, honest bass.
Handsome, unimposing physical
presence.
Excellent value.
LOW POINTS
Subtle midbass warmth.
Slight rolloff in lowest one-third
octave of bass.
2002TLs as my main music speakers.
James Taylor never sounded smoother and more vibrant
than when the Definitive system reproduced his voice from
the James Taylor Live at the Beacon Theatre DVD
(Columbia). The system recreated the depth and breadth of
the stage in this wonderfully engineered 5.1-channel record-
ing. The dizzying video cutting and cross-fading every few
seconds greatly distracted from audio imaging, but closing
my eyes restored solidity to the soundstage.
"Whether in two-channel stereo or
5.1 Dolby Digital, the Definitive sys-
tem reproduced voices unerringly"
The human ear naturally attunes to the human voice, and
we are probably better able to discern reproduction accuracy
with voices than with violin overtones and low organ pipes.
Whether in two-channel stereo or 5.1-channel Dolby Digital,
the Definitive system reproduced voices unerringly. If the
system added any coloration, it was only a slight warmth.
Few movies can match the audio montage of Batman &
Robin with its constant barrage of effects from explosions,
car and motorcycle chases and crashes, collapsing girders,
and the creaking and shattering of ice, not to mention the del-
icacy of a kiss from Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman). The effects
range from deep bass to high treble, making them a good
workout for speakers. When I raised the volume, my audi-
ence cried uncle long before the speakers gave a hint of dis-
tress. Explosions weren't just loud bangs—they blossomed
and enveloped me. And George Clooney (Batman) sounded
like he was still treating patients on ER, but with a much
fuller voice.
"the bipolar surrounds permit
greater localization than the dipolars
of my reference system, I liked the
bipolar sound field better."
The movie makes full use of Dolby Digital's six discrete
channels, with continuous effects and ambience in the sur-
rounds. While the bipolar surrounds permit greater localiza-
tion than the dipoles of my reference system, I liked the
bipolar sound field better. With the dipole surrounds, effects
always seem diffuse and distant. With the Definitive bipoles,
the effects sounded more viscerally immediate. They also
reproduced more of a continuum between the front sound-
stage and the surrounds.
The Definitive system can reveal flaws in soundtracks as
well. In the Warner Home Video DVD of 2001, the famous
Richard and Johann Strauss music sounded pale and thin. I
eagerly placed the disc in the player and waited for the low
organ pipes of the opening theme from Also Sprach
Zarathustra to levitate me from my seat. I barely felt a rum-
ble, through no fault of the speakers. (Although the packag-
ing claims Warner remastered the movie in Dolby Digital
5.1, most of it played in two-channel stereo, with only occa-
sional sounds from the surrounds.) However, later in the
movie, during the airlock scene, the high-pitched noise that
builds incredible tension hovered over the center speaker
like a globe of St. Elmo's Fire. Few sound effects have
caused my blood to run as cold as this.
"will... definitely thrill you"
Roman Polanski's Frantic, another Warner release, pro-
vided basic two-channel chills and thrills. The
nightclub/disco scene proved most notable—the Definitive
speakers reproduced every drop of atmosphere, sans smoke.
The throb of the low bass set the mood, without masking any
dialogue. Frantic tested dialogue intelligibility to the max,
The Definitive Technology speakers effortlessly
reproduced the constant barrage of audio
effects in the Batman & Robin soundtrack.
and the Definitives met the challenge, though not even they
could compensate for Harrison Ford's occasional mumbles.
When he clinked the Statue of Liberty model while inspect-
ing the suitcase in his hotel room however, it rang very true.
"the Definitive speakers reproduced
every drop of atmosphere"
That's "rang," as in real life, not as in a form of distortion.
Aluminum tweeters often have a brittle, sometimes piercing
sound quality. Definitive Technology says that its tweeters
combine specially annealed pure aluminum domes with silk
surrounds. This design is claimed to fuse the best features of
a stiff metal dome—clarity and extended range—with the
well-damped smoothness of a soft dome. All of my listening
bore this out. The speakers produced ample clean, crisp tre-
ble without ever calling attention to themselves or changing
the screeching of brakes into fingers on a chalkboard.
The overall smoothness, effortlessly wide dynamic range,
and solid performance at both ends of the frequency spec-
trum make this Definitive Technology system very ingratiat-
ing. It offers considerable value as well, since you receive
650 watts of amplifier power as a bonus for what would be
the price of a good unpowered home theater speaker system.
"I could happily live with the
BP2002TLs as my main music
speakers."
The built-in amps, which handle the heavy lifting, allow you
to use a modestly powered receiver or system amplifier and
still hear clean sound with wide dynamic range.
Since the organ in 2001 paled, I reached for the trusty
Telarc recording of the Saint-Saëns "Organ" Symphony,
with Eugene Ormandy conducting the Philadelphia
Orchestra and organist Michael Murray (CD-80051). The
grandeur filled the room, with all but the very longest organ
pipe sounding full and natural. Unless you listen in a very
large, or very dead, room and desire the most bone-shaking
low bass possible, the BP 2002TL system will not merely
satisfy you but definitely thrill you.
11433 Cronridge Dr. • Owings Mills, MD 21117 • (410)363-7148
Visit us at www.definitivetech.com
S&V
Advertisement
